Book Blitz: Choosing you di Allie Everhart + giveaway

Buongiorno ^^ Eccoci ad un nuovo book blitz, ideato come sempre da Giselle di Xpresso Book Tours; anche questa volta vi presento un new adult contemporaneo :) Come sempre spero possa piacervi ^^ Non perdete il ricco giveaway alla fine del post ;)

Titolo: Choosing you

Autore: Allie Everhart

Genere: New adult contemporaneo
Trama: When Jade is given a scholarship to an elite private college in Connecticut, she sees it as a chance to finally escape her painful past and get a fresh start. She’s determined to succeed and that means keeping her focus on school and not guys. But her plan falls apart her first day on campus when Garret, a rich prep school boy with swimmer abs and a perfect smile, offers to help her move in.
Jade tries to push him away, but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.
As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from.

Allie Everhart writes about dating, love, and romance. She’s also a freelance writer for magazines and websites. Before freelancing, she was a book editor for a publishing company where she worked on several NYT bestselling nonfiction books. She loves to read as much as she loves to write. And when she’s not reading or writing, she’s outside running, which is when she gets her best book ideas.

Goodreads / Twitter

ESTRATTI

#1

As soon as I start running, I feel the calmness I was craving. I get lost in the repetition of my movement around the oval track and I lose all sense of time. After a while the sun is really hot and I realize that it’s probably way past noon. I take a break and sit at the side of the track, completely soaked in sweat. 

“Have a good run?”  

I turn to see Garret walking toward me in navy athletic shorts and a gray t-shirt. It looks like he’s been running, too, although he’s not nearly as sweaty as me. 

“It was all right,” I say. “I don’t usually run on a track.”

“You should’ve come with me. I ran a couple miles around campus.”

I shake my head, sweat dripping off me like a wet dog. “That’s not far enough. I usually run 8 or 9 miles.”

He sits down next to me. As in right next to me. Can he not see how sweaty I am? I’m sure he can smell me from 10 feet away. I can’t even stand the smell of myself.

“Eight or 9 miles? You must be a serious runner. I’m a swimmer. I only run to improve my cardio for the pool. I do a couple miles at a normal pace and then I do sprints on the track.”

So that’s why he has that body. He’s a swimmer. That explains the broad shoulders and narrow waist V shape he’s got going on.

“Go ahead.” I point to the empty track. “It’s all yours.”

“Why don’t you do them with me?” he asks in a challenging tone. “Let’s race.”

I never turn down a challenge. Well, sometimes I do, but it’s rare. “I’m a distance runner, not a sprinter. But a distance runner can beat a swimmer any day. This should be easy.” I stand up, stretching my legs which are stiffening up after my short break.

“You think you can beat me, huh?” He stretches as well. “So what’s with the insults? You don’t like swimmers?”

I shrug. “Swimmers are okay. I just don’t think they have to work that hard. I mean, the water makes you basically weightless. It’s easy to go fast when you don’t have to drag your body weight around. You don’t get that benefit with running.”

His jaw basically drops to the ground. I’ve just insulted both him and something that’s near and dear to his heart. Apparently this has never happened to him before. Pretty boy must be used to only getting compliments. 

“Are you shitting me? Did you just say swimmers don’t work hard?”

“Yeah, why?” For some reason, I’m really loving insulting this guy.

“Game on, Iowa girl. Get your ass in position.” 

He sets himself up in lane one of the track. I take my sweet time walking over to lane two, yawning just for added effect.

“Do you need a head start?” I ask him, stretching my arms behind my back.

“Damn, you’re annoying.” He smiles when he says it. “We do one lap around. Ready? Three, two, one. Go!”

I take off down the lane, my eyes straight ahead pretending he’s not there. I quickly round the first end of the track and hit the straightaway. I imagine myself running far away from that place. Running back home and seeing Frank and Ryan again. I round the next end and keep running.

“Stop! We’re done!” I hear Garret’s voice and slow down, noticing that I’m already halfway through a second time around the track. I finish the loop and meet up with him again. He’s bent over, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

“Okay, I admit it. You’re fast,” he says, panting as sweat drips off his face.

“Fast? That was my normal pace.” 

He glances up at me, trying to figure out if I’m kidding. Then he stands up straight and wipes the sweat off his forehead. “Remind me never to do that again.” He walks over to the edge of the track and gets his water bottle. “You should sign up for cross country or track. You’re really fast.”

“Nah. I ran cross country in high school. Now I just run when I’m stressed.” It’s true, but I wish I hadn’t said it. It makes me sound weak and I hate sounding weak, especially around a guy.

#2

He puts his phone away. “Can I come in? I’m kind of a target out here in the hall.”

“A target for what?” I ask, moving aside to let him in.

“Girls fondling me.” A smirk crosses his face as he waits for my reaction.

“Please tell me you’re kidding. Because if you’re not, then I need to start upping the insults again to bring you back down to earth.”

He’s trying hard to keep a straight face. “You saw Ava just now. Girls just can’t help themselves. What can I say?”

I shake my head and start rummaging through my drawer for a shirt. “I can help myself. I’m completely immune to whatever you think you’ve got going on over there.” 

“Yeah, I know,” he mumbles. “You need some help?”

“Why? You think I can’t dress myself?”

He stands next to me, staring down at the open drawer. “Everything in here is black.”

“Yeah.” I close the drawer and open the one beneath it. “And everything in here is white.”

“Where are your other shirts?”

“That’s it. Well, I have a few in the closet.”

He walks over to look. “You only wear black or white?”

“Uh, yeah. Are you just getting that? You’ve seen me how many times and you’ve never noticed that?”

“Huh. I guess not.”

“It’s just easier that way. Black and white go with everything.” I take a black t-shirt from the drawer.

“You should wear purple sometime.”

I almost choke laughing. “Purple? Are you joking?”

“What’s wrong with purple?”

“I’ve never worn anything purple in my life. I’ve never even considered it. It’s one of those weird colors that old ladies wear.”

“Lots of people wear purple. And with your green eyes, you would look great in purple.”

“I hate my green eyes. The last thing I want to do is draw attention to them.”

He comes closer and lifts my chin up with his hand. “How could you hate your eyes? They’re the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Why do you think I’m always staring at them?”

“Yeah, that’s hilarious.” I push him back. “Now get out of here so I can change. Wait in the hall. I’ll be like two seconds.”

“Jade, you know I’m not safe out there.” He says it as if he’s really in danger. “Did you see all those girls running around in towels and robes?”

I roll my eyes. “I swear. The insults are coming, my friend. So tell your ego to get ready.”

He stands there.

“You’re really not leaving? Fine. Then turn around.”

I change into my jeans and black shirt. “Okay, I’m done.” 

He inspects me. “Yeah. You definitely need some color. The black and white thing is getting old.”

“Well, I’m not planning on buying new clothes so you’ll have to get over it.” I search through my desk drawer for money. “How much are movie tickets? I haven’t been to a movie in years, so I have no clue. Six bucks? Seven?”

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go.”

“Garret, you’re not paying.”

“You just saved me from being man-handled by Ava. That’s at least worth the price of a movie ticket. Maybe even some popcorn, too.”

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Recensione: L'ombra del silenzio di Kate Morton

Buona lettura ^^

Titolo: L’ombra del silenzio

Autore: Kate Morton

Editore: Sperling & Kupfer

Collana: Pandora

Pagine: 538

Prezzo: 19,90€

Trama: 1961 In un caldo giorno d'estate, mentre la famiglia festeggia nella bella dimora nel Suffolk, la sedicenne Laurel si rifugia nella casa sull'albero della sua infanzia e sogna: del ragazzo che le piace, di trasferirsi a Londra, di cogliere al più presto il futuro brillante che - ne è certa - la sta aspettando. Ma prima che quel pomeriggio idilliaco finisca assiste a un terribile crimine... 2011. Laurel ce l'ha fatta, è un'attrice famosa. Ma un'altra festa la riporta in quella stessa casa nel Suffolk e scatena ricordi, rimorsi e rivelazioni assolutamente impensabili. Perché nessuno poteva immaginare che tanti anni prima l'incontro di un uomo e due donne, nella Londra semidistrutta dai bombardamenti, avrebbe segnato tragicamente i loro destini. E quello di Laurel.

Recensione

Laurel è un’attrice di grande successo, è riuscita a realizzare il suo sogno adolescenziale costatole però un distacco sempre più profondo dalla sua famiglia; ora, consapevole di essere ormai prossima a perdere la madre, Laurel decide di scoprire quanto più possibile sul suo passato e su un fatto che ha segnato per sempre la sua vita, l’omicidio di uno sconosciuto nel suo giardino per mano proprio di sua madre. Chi era quell’uomo e perché Dorothy si era spaventata così tanto nel vederlo da arrivare ad ucciderlo? Grazie ad una serie di diari Laurel riesce a ricostruire la vita di sua madre nella Londra devastata dalla seconda guerra mondiale, ma più scava nel passato di una donna così diversa rispetto a quella che lei conosce più il sospetto che ci sia qualcosa di sbagliato si fa strada nella mente di Laurel..

Questo ormai è il terzo libro che leggo della Morton, e come nelle precedenti volte la lettura si è rivelata entusiasmante e coinvolgente: la capacità dell’autrice di sviluppare una storia convincente su diversi piani temporali sembra affinarsi ad ogni nuovo romanzo, questa volta le protagoniste sono tre: Laurel è la protagonista del presente, la classica donna in carriera sommersa di appuntamenti lavorativi e quindi costretta ad allentare i legami con la famiglia per stare al passo con gli impegni, tuttavia porta dentro di sé il peso di un segreto che ha turbato la famiglia negli anni ’60, l’idea di scoprire l’identità dell’uomo misterioso è un chiodo fisso e la morte prossima della madre la spinge finalmente a raccogliere il coraggio a due mani per indagare nel passato e scoprire la verità. Dorothy e Vivien invece sono le protagoniste dei due piani temporali passati, negli anni ’30 a Londra e in Australia per seguire la loro adolescenza ma soprattutto negli anni ’40 a Londra, quando le loro strade si incrociarono: Dorothy è una ragazza spigliata al servizio di un’anziana nobildonna, decisa a conquistare a modo suo l’amicizia dell’elegante Vivien che vive dall’altra parte della strada con un marito perfetto. Mentre Dorothy però è spesso spietata e pronta a fare qualsiasi cosa pur di ottenere ciò che vuole, fregandosene delle persone che possono rimanere ferite lungo la sua strada, Vivien è generosa e altruista, vittima di un passato che ha segnato profondamente il suo carattere e che la porta a comportarsi in un determinato modo. I caratteri delle due donne sono quindi diametralmente opposti e, nonostante all’inizio Vivien possa sembrare fredda e distaccata, addentrandosi nella lettura si scopre la sua vera personalità e si arriva a provare nei suoi confronti una profonda empatia. Come sempre la cura per i dettagli nelle ricostruzioni storiche rende la lettura quasi tridimensionale, se anche voi avete letto altri suoi romanzi sicuramente sapete di cosa sto parlando. Mi è piaciuto molto anche il modo in cui l’autrice ha permesso a Laurel di scoprire la verità, non solo tramite i classici diari ma anche e soprattutto grazie a testimonianze dirette di persone che avevano conosciuto la madre o Vivien e a lettere raccolte nei posti più impensati, permettendoci così di avere un ulteriore punto di vista sulla vita delle due donne, una visione dall’esterno che può effettivamente fare luce su alcuni dei misteriosi atteggiamenti delle due. In conclusione ho trovato il romanzo davvero piacevole, non vedo l’ora di leggere il prossimo!

Consigliato :)

Fra

Book Blitz: Leap of Faith di Jamie Blair

Buongiorno ^^ Eccoci ad un nuovo book blitz, ideato come sempre da Giselle di Xpresso Book Tours; questa volta vi presento un new adult contemporaneo :) Come sempre spero possa piacervi ^^

Titolo: Leap of Faith

Autore: Jamie Blair

Genere: New adult contemporaneo
Trama: Can true love be built on lies? A teen on the run seeks relief and redemption in this gripping, romantic read.
Leah Kurtz has finally found a place to call home, a town where she and baby Addy can live in peace, far from the drug-infested place she grew up. Chris is one of the best parts of her new life, the only person who’s ever made her feel safe. And now that she’s found him, there’s no way she can tell the truth:
Her real name is Faith, not Leah. She’s seventeen, not nineteen. And the baby isn’t hers—Faith kidnapped her.
Faith’s history catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions and Chris’s aunt spots her picture in the newspaper. She knows it’s time to run again, but if Faith leaves, she’ll lose Chris. If Chris is in love with a lie, though, did Faith ever really have him in the first place?

Jamie Blair spent most of her teen years choreographing moves for her dance team routines, kissing boys on the couch after her mom went to bed, and pondering the mood enhancement qualities of Lemon Heads when consumed with Diet Coke. Writing under Kelli Maine, she’s the USA Today bestselling author of Taken. Leap of Faith is her debut New Adult novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

ESTRATTI

#1

“I’m Chris.” His eyes are hazel. They’d be bluer or greener depending on what he wore.  His gray shirt keeps them the in-between shade.  He plays a few more chords and sets his guitar on the couch beside him.  “Well?  What do you think?”

I glance around.  There’s not much to it, but it works.  “How much?”

He rubs his chin.  It’s covered in stubble.  I imagine how it would feel against my cheek, and my face gets hot. 

Addy squirms and lets out a small shriek.  Chris’s eyes dart to her.  This could be the deal breaker.

She squawks again.  “What time is it?” I ask, realizing she’s probably hungry. 

He shrugs.  “Around five or six.  She need to eat?”

“Yeah.  Guess I better go so I can feed her.”  I take a step toward the door.

“Here,” he comes forward, reaching his arms out.  “I’ll hold her.  Go on out and get her a bottle.  You have one with you, don’t you?”

I nod, watching him take Addy out of my arms, place her against his chest, and rub her back.  “Do you have kids?”  It seems like a dumb question, but he’s a natural with Addy.

He laughs.  “No.  Fortunately, I’ve never been in that predicament.”  He looks from Addy to me, and his face falls.  “I mean…” 

Right.  He thinks I got knocked up.  I’m a teen mom.  “It’s okay.  Don’t worry about it.”  I smile, trying to put him at ease.  “I’ll be right back.”

After opening the door to the stairs, I glance over my shoulder.  He’s running his fingers over the top of her head and bouncing her gently.  “Shh, baby, don’t cry.  Mommy will be right back.” 

#2

Halfway to 356 Maple, a black pickup truck pulls into the driveway.  Music blares from the open windows.  Chris’s hair blows around in the breeze. 

My heart jumps to life. 

How have I become so hooked on a guy I met yesterday?  But watching him park his truck and hop out, I know how.  Nobody’s ever done half as much for me, and he doesn’t even know me.  He’s a good person, and I haven’t known many of those.

On his way to the front door, he stops when he spots us.  “Hey!” His smile’s genuine, and fills his whole face.  He jogs across the yard to meet us. 

After seeing his room, I half-expect him to be wearing a superhero t-shirt, but there’s none today, just a plain white t-shirt covered in dirt.  He’s filthy.  “All moved in?” he asks.

“Yeah.”  I watch his tall frame moving toward me, his jeans shifting with each stride, his shirt hugging his chest.  I stop the stroller as he reaches us.  “I love the paint color and the privacy wall.  Thanks.”

He bends down, leaning his head in the stroller.  His fingers wrap around Addy’s arm. “You’re welcome.  Listen, I’m really sorry about what happened.  My dad can be…I don’t know what’s wrong with him sometimes.  Do you need help moving anything in?” 

I ignore the jab in the pit of my stomach at the mention of Chris’s dad.  “No, we’re good.  We don’t have much, so it wasn’t difficult.”

He unbuckles Addy and lifts her out of the stroller. “Is it okay if I carry her in?”

I cringe at the dirt on his shirt, but he’s already got her pressed against his chest.    “Sure.”  I can always give her a bath.

She turns her head toward his neck and snuggles into a ball.  Somehow she feels what I do with him. 

Safe.

Secure.

#3

After a few minutes of Chris flipping through the channels with the remote while we eat, I have to break the silence again.  “How was work?  Where do you work, anyway?”

“I have a glamorous job roofing houses for RJ Roofing.”  He leans back and rubs his stomach.  “I’ve been there a couple of years.  It’s not bad.  They’re good people to work for.”

“That sounds horrible to me.” 

He lifts one eyebrow.

“I’m terrified of heights.  I couldn’t ever go up on a roof.  Plus it has to be about a hundred and fifty degrees up there.”

He chuckles.  “It is.  And you come home covered in tar and dirt.  But the pay’s good.”

“How long have you played the guitar?”  I look down at my hands. 

I can’t stop asking questions. 

I hate that he won’t ask me his own questions even if I won’t answer them anyway. 

He stretches both arms over his head and yawns.  “About five years.” 

I nod and tuck my hair back again.

“Here.”  He reaches into his pocket and shoots me with a rubber band.  “For your hair.  It’s not going to stay behind your ears.”  His smile’s easy. 

Tonight, his eyes match his dark blue shirt.  I like his chin length hair down.  It makes the angles of his face softer.  Faint stubble has grown on his chin.  No wonder I’m obsessed with him.  He’s hot.

My eyes make their way back to his, and I can tell he knows what I’m thinking.  I shift to peer at the TV, feeling my pulse race.  I ball my hair on top of my head and wrap the rubber band around it.

“Faith,” he mumbles. 

I jerk around.  “What did you say?”

“The tattoo on the back of your neck, it says hope and faith.”

I reach around with my hand, covering my tattoo.  It’s a banner inside angel wings with our names on it.  Hope and Faith.  My sister and I got them last summer.  It took me forever and five days to talk her into it.  She got hers as a tramp stamp, thinking she could hide it.  More people have seen hers than mine since her track pants sit low on her hips.

“Yeah.”  I swallow my fight or flight instinct.  “Do you have any tattoos?”

In one swift movement, he whips off his t-shirt.  There, in the middle of his tan chest, beside a smear of paint, is a cross with two dates inscribed on it.  One across, one down.  Its intricate design has my fingers itching to touch.  Instead, I crawl on my knees around the table to get a closer look.

Book Blitz: Because of Lucy di Lisa Swallow + giveaway

Buongiorno ^^ Eccoci ad un nuovo book blitz, ideato come sempre da Giselle di Xpresso Book Tours; questa volta vi presento un new adult adatto agli over 17 per la presenza di scene esplicite, come sempre spero possa piacervi :) Non perdete il ricco giveaway alla fine del post ;)

Titolo: Because of Lucy

Autore: Lisa Swallow

Genere: New adult contemporaneo
Trama: Ness’s parents are shocked when she turns down her place at Leeds University and takes on a full-time job in a call center. Determined to begin her adult life the way she wants, Ness moves to Leeds to live with her best friend Abby.
One night she meets Evan, who is everything she hates about guys. He may be hot but he’s also drunken, arrogant, and on top of that, he apparently has sex with girls and forgets about it. But Evan isn’t what he seems and Ness soon discovers they have more in common than she thought.
Evan is struggling to escape from his past too, and when Lucy appears she threatens his new relationship with Ness. Unsure if she can deal with the effect Lucy has on Evan, Ness makes a decision about her future which pulls them apart.
When their new lives don’t go as planned, Ness and Evan are both faced with difficult choices. All because of Lucy…

Lisa Swallow is originally from the UK but now lives in Perth, Western Australia. She splits her time between writing, raising a family and running a business. She even leaves the house occasionally.
Lisa writes romance and is currently working on a series of new adult paranormal romance novels, the first book, Soul Ties, was published in July 2013. She also writes new adult contemporary - Because of Lucy was released August 2013.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

ESTRATTI

#1

I side step the sink and turn. A guy leans against the doorframe, trying to appear nonchalant but his slackened stance indicates he’s attempting to keep himself upright. His brown hair is longer at the front and spills into his face, and unfocused brown eyes appear to be looking in my direction. He’s one of the regulars. I don’t pay a lot of attention, but he’s a good-looking guy and they never go unnoticed.

“Yes?” I snap. I’m so not in the mood.

His eyes sweep my figure. Unbelievable... I straighten my sleeves and look at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Are you Abby’s housemate?”

“Who are you?”

“Evan.” He rubs his nose. “You’re not a student?”

“Correct, I am the one not lying in a drunken haze on the floor contemplating my navel.”

Evan takes a step forward, steadying himself with one hand as my witty repartee sails over his head. “Why?”

“Why am I not on the floor pissed?”

“Why aren’t you a student?”

“Because I work instead.”

“Hmm.” He pauses and grasps onto the sink, searching for a glass. I pass him the spare one. “Did you fail?”

 “Fail what?”

Evan fills the glass. “Or are you just not smart enough for uni? What is it you do?” He gulps the water in three mouthfuls then wipes his mouth with his hand.

Arrogant wanker.

“That’s right, I’m not smart enough. I’m living with Abby until I can find a nice man to marry then I can have 2.4 kids and a house in the suburbs. Because, as I’m not a student, I have no future.”

Evan leans against the sink. “Fair enough.”

Oh my god he believes me. How pissed is he exactly? “So, you think anyone who doesn’t go to university is inferior to you?” I demand.

I’ve seen her friends looking down their noses at me. Inverted snobbery. On top of that, the locals hate students and the students hate locals. I’m neither. I can’t win.

We’re close now and he stinks of alcohol and pot, a faint hint of deodorant lingering on his clothes. Evan’s T-shirt has come untucked and rides up as he leans against the sink. He’s toned, evidently works out. I can’t help myself, I check him out. Beneath his curls he has deep brown eyes. Incoherent eyes. I hate to admit, but something about him is seriously sexy.

Even if he is a dick.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me,” I say.

He sniggers.

“What’s funny?”

“You sound like the Queen.”

Not this again. I get enough crap at work. I move from Cheltenham to Yorkshire and suddenly I’m ‘stuck up home counties girl’.

I don’t dignify his comment with an answer and turn away from him, and walk out of the kitchen.

“Want me to get the guy out of your bed?” he calls after me.

I stop and look round. “You know him?”

“I could replace him.”

My mouth drops open at his arrogance. An attempt at a flirtatious smile plays around his lips but the unfocused eyes kill the effect he’s trying to achieve. He’s serious. I imagine he has a ready supply of eager girls. No surprise with a body and looks like his, such a shame he needs a personality transplant.

I step towards him. “Evan. I am not pissed. Nor are you getting into my bed. Good night.”

Feeling happy with my retort, I saunter towards the stairs. Behind me, Evan impersonates my sentence with an exaggerated posh accent.

It’s a good thing that I’m sober otherwise I’d go back there and punch him.

#2

Evan’s mouth hovers close to mine, his warm breath on my skin. The effect on me is weird, different to before, with other guys. Abby once told me she met this guy who didn’t even need to touch her and she got aroused. At the time, I concluded Abby was exaggerating. Now I think maybe there is something primal, where that can happen between two people. Because the heat floods through my body towards the surface, searing where his hand touches my face.

Evan’s eyes focus on my mouth. “Sorry I left last time.”

“Who said I was inviting you to stay last time?”

“Okay, sorry. But I did kiss you goodbye.”

Is he teasing me again? Because Evan’s mouth remains a tantalizing distance from mine, and he’s not kissing me. I shift, trying to disguise my rapid breathing and realize he’s waiting for me to make the move. Fine. I place my mouth on his, wriggling into him. Evan winds his hand into my hair, and gently holds my head to his, kissing me lightly, lips sparking power across my skin.

Our position on the sofa allows me to lean against Evan, half on top of him and I push myself into him, not taking my mouth from his. Evan’s arms wind around my waist and pull me closer. Where I’m lying on him, I can feel his erection against my thigh. Wow. I’ve hardly touched him - maybe I do the same to him? I pull my head back and meet his eyes, the hungry look I expected is held in them.

“Are you pinning me down so I can’t leave this time?” he asks.

I smile. “No. You can go now.”

“I think I’ll wait for Matt to wake up.”

With strong, rough hands he holds my face again and his tongue darts into my mouth. He tastes less of beer than last time. Our teeth collide and I move away from him, holding my mouth. He watches as the dress rides up over my legs.

The short black dress isn’t very decorous when it comes to lying on top of a man. But I’m not behaving very decorously. Evan’s hand slides up my leg, stroking gently.

And I’ve definitely had too much vodka but screw it. He’s here and he’s fucking hot and it’s my choice. I’ll deal with the emotional fall out later. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol, or the sexual confidence I’ve found from tonight - guys watching me in the Union and Evan wanting me - but I make a snap decision.

“Do you want to make it two?” I ask.

“Two?”

“Girls. You’ve slept with in Leeds.”

I’ve seen the look on Evan’s face before, the night in the pub when his mask slipped a few seconds. He hesitates.

“Ness…”

“You’re saying no?” I remove my hand from where I’m trailing fingers across his muscled stomach.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to say.”

I tug him towards me by his shirt. I’m a bit drunk and a lot reckless but what the hell, it’s about time I had some fun. “How about you hit me with some poetry, I hear the girls really…”

“Ness. Shut up.” He drags me onto him and crushes his mouth on mine, the breath sucked from my lungs as the urgency of his kiss overwhelms me. The tiniest amount of self-control I had just disappeared.

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Book Blitz: Waterborn di Kimberly James + giveaway

Buongiorno ^^ Eccoci ad un nuovo book blitz, ideato come sempre da Giselle di Xpresso Book Tours; questa volta vi presento un new adult fantasy :) Come sempre spero possa piacervi ^^

Titolo: Waterborn

Autore: Kimberly James

Genere: New adult, fantasy, romance
Trama: “You don’t have to choose. You can be both. The girl with the charm, the girl without. They both suit you.”
Caris Harper lives a charmed life. Literally.
When her dad offers to take her to the Emerald coast of Florida for summer vacation, Caris jumps at the chance. The chance to get answers to questions she’s always been too afraid to ask. The chance to be normal. Isn’t that what her dreams have been telling her, that here in the place of her birth she can be normal? But from the first moment the wind caresses her face and the sun touches her skin, the charm begins to fade, revealing a girl Caris never knew existed, one that is anything but normal. The long-buried Song that awakens is only the beginning of a transformation that will challenge her ideas about loyalty and family.
Noah Jacobs is a waterbreather—a species of human fully adaptable to life in the water. Like his older brother Jamie, Noah wants to prove they can use their abilities and be heroes in service to their country. When a simple mission goes wrong and Jamie goes missing, Noah exiles himself to the Deep in a desperate search. MIA is a classification Noah is not ready to accept. But instinct can’t be ignored. Not when he hears her Song. Caris is not what he expects and Noah is determined to get her out of his head. Instead he finds himself acting as her mentor and the more time they spend together, the more Noah realizes he just wants Caris.
When a startling truth threatens their newly formed trust, Noah straddles the line between love and obsession while Caris struggles to find a balance between the girl she thought she was and the young woman she wants to be.

Kimberly James is a Crossfit junkie and a connoisseur of french fries. 
She likes to make stuff up and write it down. Her stories usually have a contemporary setting with a fantastical twist. Waterborn is her debut novel.
Kimberly lives in Alabama the beautiful with her husband, three dogs, Kevin the cat, and four new adults of her own. A couple of which are off at college.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

ESTRATTO

All my life I wanted to be like my mother, hoped I was like her. And now that I knew I was, the knowledge felt like a burden instead of a blessing. A dream turned nightmare.

As I stood on the beach, a few yards away from where the foamy waves rushed over the sand, I wished it weren’t true. Maybe my dad was wrong. Maybe my mother had been wrong.

My hope was dashed as soon as the Song came, easy and instinctive. Echoes built and swirled in my head like the breaking of so many waves. I felt the purpose of this Song in a way I hadn’t felt before. I recognized it for what it was now. What before had come as the result of wayward thought, produced by uncontrolled feelings, now came with a violent edge.

A command.

A part of me prayed he wouldn’t answer, that he wouldn’t succumb to the power even as it seemed to fill me with a sense of vitality.

Minutes later, Noah emerged from the surf, surrounded by the foamy break. He radiated power. Somewhere in the fog of my mind, I remembered his strong arms wrapped around me as he wrestled me from the force that held me to the bottom of the ocean. Was it because I knew what he was that I could see him so clearly, or was it that he no longer had to hide that part of himself from me? Did we all wear a charm of some sort? All I knew for sure was that no mere human had eyes like that. No mere human moved with such graceful strength as though he commanded the water itself.

Our eyes locked and held. We circled each other with wary steps. This wasn’t the same boy I’d rescued from a pack of bullies. This boy was wild, defiant and snarling silently, caught in this invisible trap of my Song.

Where did we stand? Yesterday I would have said we were friends. Now I didn’t know. He stopped an arms length away. Was he afraid to come closer? No wonder he had looked at me with such animosity before. He didn’t like it, having to come when I called. But despite that, despite what my dad had told me about my real father hurting my mother, I couldn’t believe that Noah would hurt me. I told him that day he’d rescued me from a pool of horseshoe crabs that he wouldn’t hurt me and I still believed that. Maybe even more now.

“Are you afraid of me now?” I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a sense of empowerment, a tiny thrill that he was here only because I’d asked him to come with just a thought.

“No.” As if to prove it, he closed the space between us with one long stride, eyes intent, bold as they raked over me. I had discarded my dad’s t-shirt, eager to feel the wind on my skin, the spray from the surf. I wore my bikini top and bottoms, but I might as well have been naked the way Noah looked at me. Noah’s bare chest glistened with moisture and I had the absurd thought to rub up against him, let that moisture soak into my skin. Something must have shone on my face, some yearning I couldn’t name, because he shook his head and tiny drops of water rained down on me. I massaged them into my arms, let them drip down my face, craving more. They sang through my blood and every nerve ending in my body responded. Even my scalp tingled.

His eyes scoured my face, questions swimming in the green depths. But he also looked as if he too had no idea what happened next.

“How long have you known?” I couldn’t quite keep the edge out of my voice. The accusation. I knew this wasn’t his fault. The fault lie with my dad, but still, he had been keeping this from me. He should have told me.

“Since the first day I saw you.”

“The day behind the shops when Jax took your hair?” How had they done it? Cornered and trapped him like that? It didn’t seem possible, even though there had been three of them.

“No.” He averted his eyes. I watched his throat move as he swallowed. “Before that.”

Realization dawned. My first night here, when the water grabbed at me. I remembered the swell I’d felt in my chest, the Song that had burst through my head almost without me knowing.

I called him that first day, and he’d come, not knowing who I was. I didn’t want that kind of power over him. Yet, here he stood.

“Why you? I mean, there are others like you…” I gulped, still barely able to grasp the idea of another species, even with the proof of it standing in front of me. The proof of it humming under my skin. I still felt human enough, but Noah was definitely more. So unquestioningly, obviously more. “Like us. Why you?”

“I don’t know.” He said the words almost like a tired sigh, as though it was an unanswered question he’d asked himself over and over.  

“So, we’re not really friends. It’s just this…” I waved my hand between us, not knowing what to call this connection we shared.

“I can’t speak for you, but I am your friend, Caris. I will always be that.”

My throat tightened and I looked away, not wanting him to see how his words affected me. They soothed the raw edge of my raging emotions. Grounded me to center when everything felt like it was spiraling out of my control. “You must hate me.”

His mouth quirked in a half smile. “No. I don’t hate you.”

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Recensione: Dono di cenere + Blue Moon di Laurell K. Hamilton

Buona lettura ^^

Titolo: Dono di cenere

Autore: Laurell K. Hamilton

Editore: Tea

Collana: Teadue

Pagine: 492

Prezzo: 8,90€

Trama: Strane morti e attentati incendiari stanno colpendo le comunità dei vampiri e dei licantropi di St. Louis. Anita Blake indaga, e gli indizi sembrano condurre verso Humans First, l'associazione di fanatici che nega ogni diritto alle creature soprannaturali; ma i sospetti toccano anche la delegazione che il Consiglio dei Vampiri ha mandato a St. Louis. Lo scopo dei consiglieri è quello di accertare se il Master della città sia colpevole di aver ucciso il vampiro preistorico Oliver e se debba dunque essere punito con la morte. Il leggendario Jean-Claude, inoltre, è accusato di tradimento, cioè di voler fondare un nuovo e autonomo consiglio grazie all'enorme potere derivante dal triumvirato che ha formato con Anita e con Richard, il maschio alfa dei licantropi. La Sterminatrice è sempre più invischiata in questo triangolo amoroso e deve fare i conti coi nuovi poteri che si stanno ridestando in lei: oltre a essere una Risvegliante e una Negromante, ora Anita è diventata la Lupa - la femmina dominante del branco - e sembra avere uno strano ascendente anche sui leopardi mannari...

Titolo: Blue Moon

Autore: Laurell K. Hamilton

Editore: Tea

Collana: Teadue

Pagine: 468

Prezzo: 8,90€

Trama: Quando il telefono squilla in piena notte, Anita Blake intuisce subito che ci sono guai in vista. Ma non si tratta di lavoro: niente cadaveri da resuscitare o vampiri da uccidere. Si tratta di Richard, suo ex fidanzato nonché capo dei lupi mannari di St. Louis: è stato arrestato per tentato stupro. Un'accusa alla quale Anita non crede neppure un istante. E così corre in suo aiuto, anche perché il tempo stringe: mancano pochi giorni alla luna piena e Richard corre il rischio di veder rivelata al mondo la sua identità di licantropo. Stavolta Anita non può contare sull'appoggio di Jean-Claude, il master di St. Louis, ma viene accompagnata da due fidati vampiri e da alcuni leopardi mannari, sui quali ha scoperto di avere un forte ascendente e che la trattano come la capobranco. Ed è una fortuna, perché le indagini sono ancora più complicate di quanto pensasse: il contatto con i lupi mannari e i vampiri del luogo, infatti, sta risvegliando poteri che lei non sapeva di avere, facendole commettere azioni di cui mai si sarebbe ritenuta capace e mettendola a confronto con certi lati della sua personalità che

avrebbe preferito non conoscere...

Recensione

Dopo essere sopravvissuta all’ennesima minaccia, la sterminatrice di vampiri Anita Blake spera di riuscire a godersi finalmente un periodo di tranquillità per esplorare il nuovo e intenso rapporto con Jean-Claude, il vampiro master della città che è finalmente riuscito a conquistare il suo cuore. Tuttavia le speranze si dissolvono come neve al sole quando all’orizzonte si profila una nuova minaccia, un attentato non solo alla sua vita ma anche e soprattutto a quella del suo amante e del suo ex, Richard: i rappresentanti del Consiglio dei Vampiri temono il triumvirato che i tre hanno creato e sono convinti che l’unico modo per evitare una lotta per il potere sia proprio l’eliminazione dei suoi membri. Ma non finisce qui, perché Richard corre un ulteriore pericolo: accusato di tentato stupro, è stato arrestato proprio nel momento più delicato del mese, a pochi giorni dalla luna piena; incapace di prendere le distanze dall’uomo che ancora ama, Anita decide di correre in suo aiuto per scoprire chi abbia voluto incastrarlo e perché, ritrovandosi però invischiata in  una fitta rete di corruzione ma anche in una spietata lotta per il potere e per la sopravvivenza tra il branco e i vampiri del Tennessee..

Rispettivamente settimo e ottavo volume della serie, Dono di cenere e Blue Moon ci portano ancora una volta ad immergerci nella sfiancante e dannatamente complicata vita della tostissima Anita Blake; come se non bastassero i sicari, le streghe e gli stregoni che tentano di ucciderla continuamente, trasformandola in un bersaglio vivente, Anita vive una continua lotta interiore, divisa tra il desiderio e l’amore per il bel vampiro Jean-Claude e l’amore ma la paura nei confronti di Richard, l’alfa del branco di St. Louis. Ho trovato questi due volumi della serie molto equilibrati da questo punto di vista, in quanto in Dono di cenere si da più spazio a Jean-Claude e all’universo dei vampiri, mentre in Blue Moon il master è praticamente assente e l’attenzione è concentrata quasi esclusivamente su Richard e sui problemi del branco; tra le novità che più mi sono piaciute c’è sicuramente la figura di Asher, il vampiro che ha condiviso buona parte della sua esistenza con Jean-Claude e che ne porta il segno sul suo corpo. E’ stato anche interessante approfondire il ruolo che Anita viene suo malgrado ad assumere nel branco dei leopardi mannari: lei viene vista come leopard lionné, una figura dominante in grado di proteggere tutti i componenti del branco; diciamo che non si fa mancare niente, se si considera anche il suo ruolo di lupa nel branco di Richard :) Ormai l’avete capito, io amo alla follia questa serie: so che molti lettori sono rimasti delusi dalla piega che ha preso negli ultimi libri ma fino a questo momento il mio giudizio non è cambiato, anzi!

Consigliati!

Fra

Book Blitz: Reckless Longing di Gina Robinson + giveaway

Eccoci ad un nuovo book blitz, ideato come sempre da Giselle di Xpresso Book Tours; questa volta vi presento un new adult contemporaneo, spero possa piacervi :) 

Titolo: Reckless Longing

Autore: Gina Robinson

Genere: New adult, contemporaneo
Trama: Ellie Martin hates her beautiful, man-crazy mother. Her mother’s wild and wanton behavior has left Ellie with a deep longing. To escape. To belong. To know who her real dad is. To really be loved. Her mother finally crosses a line thatsends Ellie running, escaping to college with one, focused goal–to find and confront her bio dad, who doesn’t even know she exists. Then she meets Logan. Hot, charming, and troubled. He turns her world upside down and puts all her plans in jeopardy.
Logan Walker is hiding a shameful and painful secret. One that nearly cost him everything. When he meets the beautiful and mysterious Ellie at a Week of Welcome event, something inside him awakens and he finds himself drawn to her.
But the attraction they both feel for each other is as delicate as the web of secrets they each hide behind. And as the truths are revealed, their reckless longing may not survive the fallout.

Gina Robinson loves a good love story and always has. She writes romance of all kinds--new adult, contemporary romance, historical romance, and romantic suspense.
Currently she's best known for her Agent Ex series-- contemporary romance featuring sexy spies and plenty of adventure and humor. License to Love, the latest book in the series is available now.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

ESTRATTO

The evening was going about as well as I expected. How likely is it in any given mating-game situation that the wingman will fall for the girl's moral support sidekick? In this case, given my mindset, the odds were exactly zero. With the pounding music, even trying to make idle conversation was pointless.

We got our subs and energy drinks and found an empty patch of lawn to sit on. Bre cooed to Dan. Jake and I were awkward and ate mostly in silence. My gaze landed on an Up All Night sign advertising the events of the evening.

Precision Piercing. Specials—Tonight only! Half off the usual price.Bellybutton, ears, cartilage, and noses only.

My heart pounded in my ears. I'd read enough. I knew what I wanted, what I had wanted for a couple of years now but was too rebellious to do—pierce my navel. To understand how not piercing my bellybutton is rebellious, you have to know my mom. It was what she wanted me to do, so it was exactly what I refused to do. But now I didn't care what she thought. I could pierce or not pierce at my pleasure. I was of age and didn't need her permission. She'd never know unless I wanted her to. And even then, she wouldn't be around to gloat and enjoy her triumph.

Anyway, that wasn't the way I saw it. Doing what I wanted without regard to her was my victory. I looked around at the party atmosphere that I should have been enjoying and found myself almost smiling.

Dan and Jake wolfed down their sandwiches and were ready to party. Bre wrapped the remains of hers, ready to toss it so she could get on with the evening. I'd barely touched mine, but that wasn't unusual. Since the breakup I'd lost my appetite for just about everything in life and ten pounds along with it. And I hadn't been overweight to begin with.

Dan offered Bre a hand up. "Dance or take in the magic show?"

"Dance!" Bre laughed and took his arm, smiling up at him coyly.

"Body piercing!" I said in unison with Bre as I stood and dusted the grass off my butt.

Three pairs of eyes turned on me. I kept smiling. "What? It'll be fun. It's not something you do everyday. What better way to remember the start of our illustrious college careers here than with a new piercing?"

I spoke boldly for someone who only had her ears pierced.

Beside me, Jake shook his head. "Guys don't get pierced. Not at Up All Night." He spoke like an expert.

I ignored him and appealed to Bre. She shook her head. "The line will be too long by now. We'll miss everything else. You can get pierced any time. I'll go with you whenever you want."

"But not for half price," I said.

"Ellie, come on." Bre's eyes begged me to be reasonable.

I waved her off. "You guys go ahead. I'm off to get my bellybutton pierced. I'll text you when I'm done and catch up with you later. Have fun!"

Without waiting for an answer, I spun and ran off through the crowd toward the SUB, feeling free and exhilarated for the first time all summer.

My exhilaration lasted as I wound through the crowded first floor of the SUB, following the signs to Precision Piercing's station. Up the stairs to the second floor toward the ballroom, right until I saw the long line and my courage failed.

Jake had been an ass about things, but he was right about one thing—there were no guys in line for piercing. Bre was right, too. There was a good chance I was already too late. Any minute they'd be shutting off the line, saying they'd reached their maximum.

I stood there, not quite in line, staring and debating with myself. I'd just ditched my roommate and she was going to be pissed about it, especially if I came back without another hole in my body. On the other hand, I could claim I'd been turned away because the line was too long and she'd have gloating rights for the rest of the semester. Maybe even the rest of the time we knew each other. At homecoming twenty years from now, I still wouldn't hear the end of it.

"You'd better get in line before it's too late."

It took me a second to realize the sexy male voice was speaking to me. Startled, I looked around for the source. What was a guy doing here, anyway?

When I found it, my heart did an odd little flip. Sitting on a bench with an instant icepack pressed to his right eye was a guy that was too gorgeous to be benched. How could I have missed him? He had a wicked smile calculated to make girls melt, and his left eye danced with amusement as he watched me. He sat with his legs spread wide, just inviting a girl to stand between them and coo condolences on his injury. Touch his cheek. Offer him any comfort he wanted. He looked dangerous with one eye covered and the way a lock of dark hair fell against the icepack. Yet sympathetic at the same time, like you just wanted to take care of him.

Even though he was sitting, it was obvious he was tall and athletically built beneath the T-shirt and shorts he wore. "Well?"

I blinked. "I'm thinking."

"The window of opportunity is closing." He stood and walked over to stand next to me, so close I could smell the delicious scent of his cologne.

"Yes," I said. "I know."

He ignored any sarcasm that had slipped into my tone. "What do you want to have pierced?"

"My bellybutton." I just blurted it out, wondering why this complete stranger inspired my confidence. And why he cared.

He nodded. "Good choice. Bellybutton rings are hot. Every woman should have one."

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